Understanding the role of defect production in radiation embrittlement of reactor pressure vessels

Comparative experiments using high energy (10 MeV) electrons and test reactor neutrons have been undertaken to understand the role that primary damage state has on hardening (embrittlement) induced by irradiation at 300 degreesC. Electrons produce displacement damage primarily by low energy atomic recoils, while fast neutrons produce displacements from considerably higher energy recoils. Comparison of changes resulting from neutron irradiation, in which nascent point defect clusters can form in dense cascades, with electron irradiation, where cascade formation is minimized, can provide insight into the role that the in-cascade point defect clusters have on the mechanisms of embrittlement. Tensile property changes induced by 10 MeV electrons or test reactor neutron irradiations of unalloyed iron and an Fe-0.9 wt.% Cu-1.0 wt.% Mn alloy were examined in the damage range of 9.0x10(-5) dpa to 1.5x10(-2) dpa. The results to date showed the ternary alloy experienced substantially greater embrittlement in both the electron and neutron irradiated samples relative to unalloyed iron. Surprisingly, despite their disparate nature of defect production, similar embrittlement trends with increasing radiation damage were observed for electrons and neutrons in both the ternary and unalloyed iron.